Broadband antennas used in wireless telecommunication systems are designed to receive or transmit linear polarized electromagnetic signals. The sense or direction of linear polarization is measured from a fixed axis and can range from horizontal polarization (90 degrees) to vertical polarization (0 degrees). Many broadband antennas are designed to employ dipole elements to receive or transmit the signals. These elements are mounted above an artificial ground plane, which is typically an electrically conducting plate, and the elements are connected together via feed lines. These feed lines are often in the form of coaxial cable.
The dipole elements are typically made from multiple pieces and soldered or welded together. As the number of dipole elements is increased, the manufacture of the antenna increases in complexity, time-consumption, and expense. For high frequency operation, the expense increases further due to the tolerances required for operation in the desired frequency range. What is needed is a way to economically produce the elements and the antenna assembly.